Lone Star: Toppling a Taboo

The film Lone Star, through its character and plot development, placed me in the uncomfortable position of considering the moral reality of incest: wrong or right? I had always assumed incest to be wrong, without reservation. However, the film and our group discussion of this film revealed that, under certain circumstances, incest was not as dangerous or twisted as I had always assumed.

If we are going to challenge our social norms and taboos concerning incest, then one of our considerations must involve the definition of what constitutes a blood relationship to another individual. Aside from the physical implications, does blood relationship also imply a significant emotional or spiritual tie to someone to whom we are closely related but with whom we were not raised? Lone Star endeavors to answer this question midway through the film in a scene between Chet Payne and Otis Payne. Chet learns from his grandfather that his family possesses not only an African Americans heritage, but also a Cherokee one. Chet asks his Grandfather, “So I’m part Indian?” His grandfather’s replies, “By blood you are. But blood only means what you let it.” The grandfather’s statement here encourages the film’s audience to rethink not only the significance of blood relationship, but also its definition.

Lone Star further challenges typical conceptions of incest by debating the assumption of physical and mental deformity or weaknesses resulting in offspring from close genetic relationship. The film navigates this possible stumbling block by eliminating it altogether. Pilar tells Sam they do not have to worry about physical deformity because she cannot bear children due to a physical crisis from years ago: procreation is impossible. In truth, genetic strength is the pivotal concern of most communities for which incest is a taboo. By eliminating this concern, Lone Star strips the taboo of incest down to its undergarments. We are left to debate whether, when genetic strength poses no problem, incest is a concern at all.

Mickey and Cliff’s discussion regarding Cliff’s determination to marry an African American Sergeant with whom he works on the base, though he is white, also asks the audience to challenge the incest taboo. Mickey asks Cliff, “Think her family’s gonna be okay that you’re a white guy?” Cliff responds, “They think any woman over thirty who isn’t married is a lesbian. She figures, they’ll be so relieved that I’m a man.” Mickey response proves telling: “Yeah, it’s always heartwarming to see a prejudice defeated by a deeper prejudice.” The audience first wonders how Sam and Pilar will overcome the racial segregation of their community, but in the end, this non-conformity pales in comparison to the real social challenge, which is incest.

A real propensity exists to accept the social restrictions our surrounding communities place on us. Lone Star does an excellent job of questioning issues which not only evoke discomfort, but which also appear black and white to its audience. Through masterful character development, and careful plot leading, we find ourselves pulling for Sam and Pilar to renew their relationship, despite the biases against the taboo of incest which we initially brought to the film. On the issue of incest, there are many different facets and no simple answers.